Many families in Tan Hung are actively selling this lumber to traders who pay around 80% of the actual value. Ngau trees have the shape resembling green tea, but with smaller leaves, and the flowers have been traditionally used for their aroma to flavour tea.
On the land of Nguyen Van Hanh, dozens of Ngau trees have already been marked for sales. Buyers come to select the trees they want, the most attractive characteristics being large around the garden and select the trees with big foot and much flower. "Recently, I sold a tree at just VND2 million (USD95.23), but some days ago, a customer offered the price of VND3.3 million (USD157) for a tree at another garden of my family,” he said with a pity.
Bon Ai in the village has just sold 18 Ngau trees at over VND3 million (USD142.85) each, bringing in around VND60 million (USD2,857); another local Nguyen Ngoc Tho has also sold seven trees at VND2 million each.
Last month, a Chinese trader came to Diem Tieu Village to buy the trees, but did not mention the purpose for the purchase. The customer chose high trees with lots of leaves and offered a price of VND3.5 million per tree.
Many people from different localities nationwide have been flocking to Diem Tieu to buy the trees. In some cases, even after leaving a deposit, the tree is sold to someone else at a higher price. The prices have gradually been on the rise; formerly about VND2 million, they now go from anywhere between VND3.3-3.5 million per tree.
Nguyen Ngoc Tien, Head of the village, said, “Over the past one month, the village has seen lots of people come to buy Ngau trees. A number of them said they will sell the trees to China.”
Mrs. H, a local resident who was hired as a buyer by a group of traders in the north said, “They told me they buy the trees to grow around golf courses. Nicer trees will be exported to China, but they do not mention what the Chinese do with them.”
“Traders also go to some other areas of Phu My District, such as Binh Duong and My Loc and My Phong communes to find these trees,” H added.
According to the forest management board of Phu My District, a number of locals have sought the board’s certification for the illegal source of the trees to be transported to other localities, including some northern provinces such as Lang Son and Quang Ninh.
Ngau is a kind of tree which requires a lot of care during its development. It blossoms twice a year, in the lunar months of April and August. The Ngau flower is priced at VND80,000-90,000 (USD3.8-USD4.28) per kilogramme.
A farmer in Diem Tiem harvesting Ngau flowers
Nguyen Ngoc Tho, owner of a Ngau garden, said every year, each garden can bring grower more than VND10 million (USD476.2).
To date, hundreds of Ngau trees in Diem Tieu were sold.
